Beer Happy
The room is dark. Only the flickering of the dimmed street lights could be seen through the window. Typing sounds were bouncing off the walls, filling up the quiet room. Gasping could be heard while Kalin Banchev is writing one of the many projects he has assigned.
Kalin is a senior, majoring in Business Administration and Economics. As the end of the semester is here his schedule is packed with numerous meetings and endless projects. “Being a senior is very stressful and exhausting,” says Kalin as he sips from his beer.
Before coming to AUBG he had a big dilemma on his head. Either to stay in Bulgaria and apply to AUBG or to make a brave leap of faith and go all the way to the United States of America. After drawing the line, he decided that staying here was the better option. The level of education was good and the freedom he would have was greater. If he were to go to the States, he would’ve been very financially dependent on his parents. Furthermore, Blagoevgrad is not that far away from his home, so when he feels like it, he can go back to his home and reconnect with his family and friends.
After making his choice he was eager for his first semester to start in the not so distant 2016. Before coming to Blagoevgrad, he already had made up his mind about what majors he wanted to pursue in AUBG — Business Administration and Economics. Then he did not know the large variety of business courses that were available, he did not have a direct path in a certain field, one thing that he did know is that he wanted to explore them all. As the semesters started passing by he gained more experience with the major and was happy with his decision. Marketing was one of the fields he liked the most, for that reason he fathered his education in that direction by starting AUBG’s integrated marketing minor.
“I am very glad that I chose AUBG, all the memories, all the experiences, all the people I met here. I would never give them up. Being here made me grow as a person. Going to the states would’ve opened a whole new chapter for me but I'm happy with where I am now and what I have. I am glad that I stayed,” says Kalin while a subtle smile appeared on his face.
Kalin is an active member in AUBG’s community. Starting from his freshman year he joined three clubs — AT&M, Griffins and the Business club. Although, that wasn’t a very good decision. “I made the mistake that I had to try as many clubs as possible,” says Kalin. Being a freshman and actively participating in three clubs was just too overwhelming and for that reason, he dropped two of the clubs. To this day he is still an active member of the Business Club. “Being a part of the Business club was one of the best decisions I made during my time at AUBG,” says Kalin while he submits his project with a big smile on his face. The business club helped him boost his social skills, taught him how to manage difficult situations and act under pressure. Furthermore, it taught him how to work with people, build a strong team spirit and have lots of fun. “I saw the club grow right in front of my eyes, four years ago when I joined it was not as big, engaging and developed but throughout the years it grew a lot, last year being its peak,” says Kalin. The experience he gained from building up something from scratch was unforgettable. If he could go back in time and give advice to himself when he was a freshman he would’ve said: “Appreciate and cherish all the wonderful moments, which are going to unfold in the upcoming years in AUBG.”
“I am the Elon Musk of Work and Travel,” says Kalin. The experience he gained from WAT was priceless. The first WAT program he went to was one of the most impactful things that had happened in his life. “There you really learn the true meaning of being alone,” says Kalin. He’s been in many situations where he couldn’t rely on anyone but himself. It really changed the perspective of how he sees the world. Both miserable and joyful moments made him the person he is today. “When you go to WAT you need to be in the mindset of conquering the world, that’s what kept me going,” says Kalin.
Outside of his academics and university-related ventures, Kalin likes to live an active life by traveling, playing football with his friends and visiting the gym regularly. “What I really enjoy is humiliating my roommate, Stanislav Kaimakanov, on FIFA,” says Kalin as he burst into laughter.
Kalin is eager to see how the future will unfold in front of him. He is a person who sees potential in Bulgaria. He believes that with proper execution and hard work, the possibilities here in Bulgaria are endless. In the future he sees himself running his own business.
Silence once again enters the room. Suddenly loud bangs on the door broke the silence that had absorbed the room. It’s his roommate, Stanislav, coming back from the store with a bottle of beer in his hand. He smiles and says, “it has been a long day of studying, it’s time to relax.” One thing that really keeps the bond between us is that even under hard times we always manage to have fun and laugh,” says Stanislav.
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Adel Bali is a senior at AUBG majoring in Business Administration. Adel can relate to the struggles Kalin goes through as a senior and still manages to have fun just like him.
